If you have contacted your landlord and they still won’t fix the problem(s), you can call Building and Neighborhood Services at (618) 457-3237 to request an inspection. A notice of violation will be sent to your landlord, ordering them to make corrections.

You should get a building permit if you are considering any major remodel, new construction, addition, garage, etc. inside Carbondale city limits. Refer to the Building and Neighborhood Services page or call (618) 457-3237.

In order to obtain a building permit, building plans and site plans must be submitted to the City and reviewed by the Building Inspector for compliance with the Carbondale Revised Code. All applicable fees must be paid. For more information, contact Building and Neighborhood Services at (618) 457-3237.

Yes, you can construct a detached storage building or garage. A building permit is required to add to, alter, remove or demolish a building or structure or install equipment for the operation of a building or structure.

Refuse carts can be stored outside behind the front line of the residence and not at the curb. They must be moved back to the house on the same day the trash is collected. Carts stored outside and used for trash storage should have closed lids and no trash spilling out. Refer to Title 10 of the Carbondale Revised Code for solid waste collection and storage.

Enforcement of unlicensed/inoperable vehicles and cars that appear abandoned or unattended on a City street should be reported to Building and Neighborhood Services at (618) 457-3237. Recreational vehicles have special requirements. Check with Building and Neighborhood Services.

Permits are not required for garage sales; however, the placement of the signs is regulated. Signs should be displayed from private property after obtaining the owner’s permission. Signs mounted on street or traffic signs, utility poles or fire hydrants within the rights-of-way are subject to removal.

Property owners are required to secure a vacant house or structure to prevent unlawful entry. It may be necessary to board up glass windows to prevent damage or vandalism. Sometimes these properties are abandoned, under foreclosure, or in probate court for years and may become unsightly, but may not be considered dangerous. The Chronic Nuisance Ordinance has minimum requirements for exterior property maintenance. A vacant property can be inspected by Building and Neighborhood Services if reported as a concern for a neighborhood.

If you were ticketed for Operating Uninsured Motor Vehicle, No Valid Registration or No Valid Driver’s License, but had valid insurance, registration or driver’s license on the date of the citation, you must appear on your court date. Bring a copy of your ticket(s) along with proof of valid insurance, registration or driver’s license to the City Attorney’s Office no later than one week prior to court appearance. Your insurance agent/company will be contacted to verify that the insurance was in effect at the time of your citation.

In order to avoid a court appearance, you must provide proof that your insurance, driver’s license or registration was valid at the time of the arrest to the City Attorney’s Office no later than one week prior to your court appearance. Bring this information, along with a copy of your traffic citation, to the City Attorney’s Office.

Do not assume that your ticket was dismissed.It’s important toalways follow-up before your scheduled court date to verify that your case was dismissed. If you submit your proof of compliance by email, you will receive a reply email indicating the status of your request. If you have not received verification of your dismissal, you must appear on your court date. If you do not send proof of compliance one week prior to your court date, you may still be eligible for dismissal. However, you must appear in court and bring the required proof. It is recommended that you arrive 30 minutes early.

Some traffic tickets do not require a court appearance. Look at the bottom of your ticket to determine whether you need to appear in court at all. Many minor traffic tickets may be marked “No Court Appearance Required.” However, if your ticket is marked “Court Appearance Required,” you must appear on the date and time indicated on your ticket.

If your traffic ticket is marked “No Court Appearance Required,” you may pay your ticket at the Circuit Clerk’s Office, on the first floor of the Courthouse. However, if your ticket is marked “Court Appearance Required,” you must appear on the date and time indicated on your ticket.

Trying to resolve a traffic ticket or ordinance violation can be confusing and stressful, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the court system. Many people choose to have an attorney represent them to help explain the procedure and make sure their case(s) are resolved fairly. However, the decision to hire an attorney is entirely your own. You may have the right to have an attorney appointed by the court to represent you if you cannot afford one on your own, depending on the type of offense charged. The judge will explain your rights to you when you make your first court appearance.

Attorneys from the City Attorney’s Office are responsible for the prosecution of traffic offenses and ordinance violations issued in Carbondale. Since their duty is to represent Carbondale, they are legally prohibited from giving legal advice to people charged with crimes, including minor traffic offenses. In addition, the attorneys in the City Attorney's Office are prosecuting your case, and anything you tell them could be used against you in court. Your best option is to consult your own attorney.

Your driver’s license status is decided entirely by the Secretary of State. The City Attorney’s Office has no involvement in issuing or suspending driver’s license. For questions regarding your driver’s license, contact the Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-252-8980.

Court dates are set by the judge who presides over City court. The City Attorney cannot change your court date for you. In order to request a new court date, you must file a Motion to Continue with the Circuit Clerk and have the judge grant the motion prior to your scheduled court date.

If you wish to ask the court to vacate (or undo) a judgment against you, or quash (take back) an arrest warrant, you must file a motion with the court. There may be a fee for this motion, and there is no guarantee that the court will grant your motion. For more information, contact the Circuit Clerk’s Office, located on the first floor of the courthouse, or call (618) 687-7300.

CityVision 16 is a governmental cable channel owned and operated by the City of Carbondale. CityVision keeps you up-to-date with meeting announcements for Carbondale City Council, Park District, Public Library, Elementary School District 95, High School District 165 and City Boards, Commissions and Committees. Meetings are televised live and rebroadcasted at various times on the City’s channel. City Council meetings are also streamed on the City’s website.

To request an item to be placed on the City Council agenda you must contact a Council member or the Mayor. Upon full review, the item may be placed on the agenda at the Council member or Mayor's discretion.

To apply for a liquor license, fill out a Liquor License Application. Return the completed paperwork to the City Clerk’s Office located at 200 S. Illinois Avenue. Additional Liquor License information is available here.

The City of Carbondale has a council-manager form of government. The Mayor and six City Council members are elected at-large for four-year staggered terms in non-partisan elections. The City Council acts as the policy making body for the City and hires a City Manager as the Chief Administrative Officer. The Mayor is the official head of the City.

The City Manager makes policy recommendations to the Mayor and Council, but the Mayor and Council may or may not adopt and/or modify the recommendations. The City Manager is bound by whatever action the Mayor and Council takes.

The City of Carbondale welcomes citizen participation in the decision-making process. Because professional local government management offers government of the people, by the people and for the people, it sets the stage for citizen activism by encouraging open communication between citizens and their government. Examples range from visioning, in which citizens play a major role in determining the future of their community to community-service activities. Citizens also have the opportunity to present issues to the Mayor and Council at committee meetings; talk one-on-one with council members; or express their concerns at a Public Hearing or Council Meeting. In addition, citizens are encouraged to become members of boards and commissions.

No; According to the Carbondale Revised Code Section 1-6-13, professional or artistic skills pursuant to a written contract do not need to follow formal contract procedures. In addition, purchases and contracts for the use, purchase, delivery, movement or installation of data processing equipment, software or services; telecommunications and interconnect equipment; software or services or any contract for photocopying machines, supplies or services are also exempt from formal contract procedures.

The City of Carbondale wanted to work with a company that specializes in government website design and development. In the past 20 plus years, CivicPlus has worked with more than 2,500 local governments including municipalities, counties and municipal departments.

First year annual services (GCMS upgrades, maintenance, support, hosting), server storage, premium suite of modules, 500 pages of content migration, ongoing recurring 48-month redesign, five years of agendas and minutes in PDF format, three days of onsite training and two department headers (Police and Fire Departments).

The City’s website revamp was long overdue. The last redesign occurred in 2008 with the homepage revamp occurring in 2016. Typically, the average website is redesigned every 3-4 years. In addition, we wanted to make the City’s website more user-friendly, interactive and inclusive of all City Departments.

Due to the number of events going on in the community, we only publish city-sponsored events, activities and meetings on our calendar. Check with media outlets and community partners to add your programs to local event calendars.

To access City Council information, select the “Government” tab at the top of the homepage. Underneath the “City Officials” page, select the “Carbondale City Council” tab. On this page, you will find agendas, minutes, council members, live streams and more.

Yes. Implementing these temporary measures will mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spreading, while also protecting City employees who must be available to ensure that City operations continue to run smoothly. All public safety personnel will operate normal shifts and will provide 24-hour coverage. Public Works departments will continue to operate as normal; refuse and recycling will collect on normal route days. All public safety and public works employees have access to personal protection equipment.

City staff are still available to assist you. If you have a question, call 618-549-5302.

Residents that need to pay a bill can do so at http://www.explorecarbondale.com/411/Online-Bill-Pay, via regular mail, or your payment can be placed in the dropbox on the west side drive at City Hall. The Revenue Office will continue to assist customers with billing questions at 618-457-3265. The City of Carbondale will waive late fees for those customers that have difficulty making payments via these temporary arrangements.

Yes. Carbondale Elementary School District #95 is offering “Grab and Go” breakfast and lunch. The service operates 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday, through March 30, at both Thomas School and Carbondale Middle School. Deliveries will also be made via bus route. Details TBD.

Carbondale Community High School is also offering Grab and Go meals in the CCHS cafeteria from 7:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Students can enter the building through the external cafeteria doors and pick up their meals. Students will be expected to pick up meals and exit in an efficient manner, and there will be no access to the rest of the building upon entry to the cafeteria.

McAlister’s in Carbondale is working to ensure every child has a hearty lunch. Families can stop by McAlister’s Deli from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. Every kid will receive a free sack lunch that contains a turkey and cheese sandwich, chips, applesauce and a cookie. Completely free, no other purchase is necessary.

To take advantage of the benefits, an owner or developer of property within the Enterprise Zone must simply obtain a building permit (the fee for which is waived) and a "certificate of eligibility" from the City of Carbondale's Building and Neighborhood Services Division.

There are detailed procedures to amend the boundaries of the Enterprise Zone. The Zone may be extended to incorporate a property if a specific improvement to the property is being considered. Contact the City of Carbondale or Greater Egypt Regional Planning for detailed information.

The Carbondale Fire Department will provide and install free smoke detector and replace smoke alarm batteries in anyone’s home that they own and occupy in Carbondale who cannot afford to buy one. We strongly encourage our citizens to take advantage of this program.

You must have a CO detector installed in your home if you have gas appliances and/or an attached garage. If you only have one carbon monoxide alarm, install it in the hallway near the sleeping area. Make sure you can hear it from every bedroom, so it can wake everyone up if the alarm goes off while you are asleep. Additional alarms on each level of your home provide extra protection. Carbon monoxide weighs about the same as air and distributes evenly throughout a room. A CO alarm will be effective if it’s on the ceiling, near the baseboard or anywhere in between. Do not install a CO alarm right next to a combustion appliance, like a gas or oil furnace. Instead, install the CO alarm at least 15 - 20 feet away from these appliances whenever possible.

Pursuant to Carbondale City Code, it is unlawful to burn refuse, landscape waste or any other combustible material within the City of Carbondale with the exception of recreational fires, established in the following guidelines:

•The fire is intended for pleasure, religious ceremony, cooking or warmth.•The fire should be in the rear yard, unless none exist, then in a side yard behind the front plane of the house. In no instance should the fire ever be located between the structure and the street.•The fire must be no more than three feet in diameter and two feet in height.•The fire must be at least 25 feet from a structure or other combustible material; 15 if in an approved container.•A method of extinguishment must be readily available; i.e. extinguisher, hose, buckets, etc.•The fire must not be objectionable because of excessive smoke or odor.•The fire must be constantly attended at all times.•The fire department may order extinguishment of open fires that create or add to a hazardous or objectionable situation.

The City will provide a response to noncommercial FOIA requests within five business days, unless a mutually-agreed upon date is established. Certain records or portions of records are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. If the records are exempt, the requester will be provided with the specific provision(s) in the Freedom of Information Act which makes them exempt. The specific exemptions may be reviewed.

If you have 2 or more years of post-probationary work experience as a police officer and meet the outlined qualifications, you are eligible for the Lateral Police Officer Program. Applications for experienced police officers are accepted on an on-going basis and are reviewed weekly. Oral interviews are determined by the hiring needs of the Department. Complete the Application today!

Submitted applications are reviewed by the Human Resources Manager for work experience, education and any specific requirements as posted in the job description. Qualified applicants are interviewed for the position. The HR Manager selects one candidate they feel is most qualified for the position. An offer of employment is pending until a pre-employment drug test is received.

The City of Carbondale is a Council-Manager form of government. The legislative body is comprised of the Mayor and six Council members who are elected at-large. The legislative body establishes the policies for the City. Once policies are set by the Mayor and Council, it is the job of the City Manager and his staff to implement these policies as the executive body. The City Manager is selected by the Mayor and Council and is responsible for hiring all of the City department directors.

Applications for Special Use Permits are available online and in the Planning and Development Services Office. Applications are processed by Planning Services and require a public hearing before the Planning Commission prior to City Council making the final decision on a request. For more information, contact Planning and Development Services at (618) 457-3287.

The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners conduct examinations to establish an eligibility list during the spring and the fall. To obtain an application and qualifications please call the City of Carbondale Human Resources Office at 618-457-3227 or download the information by visiting the recruiting page.

The Carbondale Police Department will take fingerprints for job applications, a professional license, or adoptions. There is a $25 fee for this service. We do not take fingerprints for Immigration and Naturalization Services.

The Carbondale Police Department does provide extra patrol / house watch during a limited time for people who are out of town on vacation. Come to the Police Department and complete a House Watch form (PDF) before you leave on vacation and call the department at 618-457-3200 upon your return.

When a person has received a traffic ticket or is arrested, they are required to post a bail, or a bond. This is a surety that the person will come to court. For a traffic ticket, a person can post $120 cash bond ($150 cash bond for more serious violations), or bail bond card.

Bond for misdemeanors is $150 and a judge must set the bond for felony charges. Some minor traffic offenses require no cash bond, but the violator must promise to appear in circuit court by signing the ticket.

The City of Carbondale is allowed to enact ordinances to cover building codes, traffic offenses, liquor offenses, etc. If a person is arrested for an ordinance offense, they cannot go to jail for that offense. It is considered a “fine only” infraction, and it is not a permanent mark on their record. Visit the City's ordinance website for more information.

Court Supervision is a finding of the court, which allows a person to plead guilty to a traffic ticket or minor offense and not receive a conviction on his / her driving record or criminal record. It is a form of probation where the person must report to the judge and not commit another offense for a specified period of time. When persons successfully complete Court Supervision, they often have to pay a fine, but do not have a mark on their driving or criminal record.

If you see some activity that you feel is suspicious in nature, please call 911 as soon as possible, explain the problem, location, and the description of individuals or vehicles. You do not have to leave your name.

If you feel it is suspicious activity, it probably is. You are the one who is most familiar with your neighborhood. The Carbondale Police will respond as soon as possible and check out the suspicious activity in a professional and courteous manner.

No, the Carbondale Police Department does not open motor vehicles in which people have locked their keys. Many vehicles' locking mechanisms these days are complex and require specially trained people to open them. We suggest you call an insured locksmith or tow truck company for these situations.

We will attempt to open car doors in emergencies. In these cases we will attempt to unlock the car, but may be required to resort to other measures if the situation dictates.

The administrative tow fee is a fee the City of Carbondale Police Department is allowed by State statute to charge for any vehicle that is towed due to certain criminal offenses. View more information about administrative tow fees, including level 1 and level 2 fees.

In order to pay the administrative tow fee, you will need to show a valid driver's license, proof of ownership or an original, notarized release from the owner giving you permission to pick up the vehicle, and proof of valid insurance on the vehicle to the Carbondale Police Department. Once those items are provided, you will be provided a release to take to the tow yard.

The tow companies charge a separate towing and storage fee. That fee is determined by the tow companies and is not affiliated with the Carbondale Police Department. The tow fee is typically approximately $65 and there is an additional storage charge for each day the vehicle is in the tow yard. For more information on the administrative tow fee, please contact Sergeant David Kemp at 618-457-3200, ext. 458.

To obtain police records you must file a Freedom of Information Act (F.O.I.A) request. Persons wishing to view or obtain copies must submit a written request to view and/or receive copies of records and submit it to Police Department Freedom of Information Officer Marcia Toliver.

The Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant processes 6 million gallons per day with a 12.5 million gallon max flow. The Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant processes 2.64 million gallons per day with a 6.6 million gallon max flow.

Sidewalks in the City of Carbondale are the responsibility of the property owner. The only instance where the City will replace a sidewalk is if it is disturbed in the process of replacing or repairing a water or sewer line.

To get water services turned on you must sign up for service. You can come in to our office, present a valid driver's license or other US Government issued ID, sign a contract and pay a deposit. The other option is to download the forms from our website www.explorecarbondale.com and mail or fax them back along with a copy of your valid driver's license or other US Government issued ID and your form of payment.

Each address is billed in a set of routes.Meaning your meter is read and your bill is generated at the same time as your neighbors. Each route has it's own due date. Please contact us at 618-457-3265 for information on your due dates. Bills are due 3 weeks from the date they are issued.

Bills can be paid in the office by cash, check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover. After hours by check or money order in the drop box located in our parking lot. Online www.explorecarbondale.com using Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover. There is also an option to sign up for automatic deduction through a checking account. Forms are available in our office.

The day after your bill is due a $5 late fee is assessed to your account and a reminder notice is sent in the mail. It will state the amount due and the date it needs to be paid by to avoid disconnection.

It is always best to contact us no sooner than a week before you move in/move out date. You can contact us as late as the day before you wish to have your water turned off and the same day you wish to have you water turned on in most cases. To schedule a move in/out contact the Revenue Office.

The deposit stays on your account for the entire time your account is active. Once an account is closed the deposit is applied toward the final bill and any remaining amounts due on the account. The rest of the deposit is refunded to you by check to an address we obtain at the time you close your account.

Once you close you account a final reading is obtained from your meter. A final bill is generated in a week to 10 days. A refund check is mailed with the final bill to the address obtained at the time the account is closed.

There are several reasons why a bill would increase. The most common issues are, an increase in usage or additional charges for refuse. To get more information about your bill contact the Revenue Office.